


Twisted Perceptions

by Mama_Qwerty



Category: Fairly OddParents
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 15:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4185267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mama_Qwerty/pseuds/Mama_Qwerty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who knew an afternoon coloring could send Wanda into a period of self-examination and psycho-analysis?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twisted Perceptions

**Author's Note:**

> This little piece was actually inspired by a drawing my husband did for me years ago. You can find the pic on my DeviantArt page at http://qwerty-kitties.deviantart.com/art/FOP-Twisted-Perceptions-35200471
> 
> Previously posted on FFnet under "qwerty-kitties". I made a few tweaks toward the end to polish it up a bit.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wanda stared glumly at the crayon drawings on the table before her. She absently ran a finger down one page, feeling the waxy texture and wondering just why she felt so miserable.

Cosmo was getting along great with their new goddaughter, and the child was growing happier as each day passed. Their days were filled with coloring, playing, wishes and laughter, and every night held a bedtime story, read as the three snuggled beneath the covers of Tabby’s bed. It was a happy routine, and their godchild flourished within it.

Cosmo was happy. Tabby was happy. Wanda . . .

Wasn’t.

And she wasn’t exactly sure why.

Laughter drew her from her thoughts and she looked across the table, through the doorway to the playroom and watched as Cosmo played merrily with Tabby. He was poofing up a mountain of dolls for her to play in and with, and she giggled madly as he tickled her cheek with the yarn hair of one of them. Cosmo was also laughing happily, and he leapt forward to tackle the little girl just as the soft mountain fell on top of them both. Muffled laughter continued uninterrupted from beneath the pile.

Wanda’s lips curled into a half smile. Tabby’s young age made Cosmo feel much more comfortable around her than most of their past godchildren, and he felt free to be himself without the fear of being judged. He actually made fewer magical mistakes with Tabby, mostly because Tabitha didn’t have any preconceived notions regarding his intelligence, so he didn’t feel nervous when using his magic.

In other words, she wasn’t expecting him to screw up, so he didn’t.

The pink haired fairy returned her eyes to the tabletop and the three papers lying on it. They had been coloring not 15 minutes ago, and Tabby had excitedly shown her godparents her drawing. It showed the three of them, her and two fairies, looking happy, with wide smiles drawn in. Cosmo smiled and laughed, showing his picture. It was nearly identical in subject matter, although a little rougher and shaky than Tabby’s. His crayon likenesses also had wide smiles.

“What did you draw, Wanda?” Cosmo had asked as they turned her.

Wanda’s cheeks nearly turned the same color as her hair.

“Uh, nothing, really,” she stammered, quickly flipping the page face down. “I—I couldn’t think of anything to draw.”

Tabby shook her head. “Nuh uh,” she said pointing to a green crayon. “I saw you coloring for a long time. What did you do?”

Her godmother offered her a weak smile. “Oh, well, I guess I did start to draw something, but it didn’t turn out the way I wanted, so . . . it’s not very good.”

“I wanna see!” the four-year-old pleaded, pressing her hands together in front of her chest. “Please please please?? Can I see?”

Wanda shook her head, a crooked smile on her lips. “Really honey, I’d rather not,” she said shakily, sliding the paper into her lap. “It’s not as good as yours.”

“Oh, come on, Wanda! It can’t be THAT bad! I mean, I know it can’t be as good as mine, but really, what can?” Cosmo said with a wide smile as he picked up his artwork to admire again.

Wanda laughed weakly. “Very true, Cosmo. I think we should put those two masterpieces on the refrigerator!” she said and poofed a trampoline in the playroom next door. “Hey, look! A trampoline!”

Cosmo and Tabby turned quickly and squealed with delight.

“YAY!” Tabby cried as she ran for the doorway. Cosmo immediately flew after her, the mystery of his wife’s crayon drawing quickly forgotten.

Wanda now looked into the playroom to discover that Cosmo had enchanted the dolls into performing a dance recital for Tabby, who was laughing and clapping happily. The green haired fairy was smiling wide, obviously pleased with himself for controlling his magic so well and making his godchild happy. Tabby turned to her godfather and hugged him around the neck, planting a loud kiss on his cheek. Cosmo blushed furiously, and returned the kiss on the top of the girl’s head.

Wanda suddenly realized that she was frowning.

The realization startled her, and she consciously wiped the expression from her face. Why on earth would she be frowning? Cosmo and Tabby were getting along great, fantastic, marvelous even. For as long as they had been godparenting, Cosmo was usually the ‘odd-man-out’, so the fact that Tabby really seemed to get along with him and loved to play with him should have made Wanda happy. Not to mention the fact that it usually took Cosmo quite a while to warm up to a new godchild, and here they were, not even a month into this assignment and he was playing and joking with the little girl like they were old friends. That’s the way it should be, right?

Tabby suddenly squealed with laughter, clapping her hands and crying for “More, more!” Smiling widely, Cosmo lifted her high into the air and dropped the laughing little girl into the large pile of soft dolls.

The pink haired fairy frowned. Tabby never laughed that much when it was just Wanda around, and sometimes became extremely withdrawn and quiet. It was almost enough to give the little pink haired fairy a complex.

When godfather and godchild exploded into a fresh fit of giggles, Wanda heaved a deep sigh.

So what.

What did it matter if Tabby felt more comfortable and closer to Cosmo right now? She was still young, and Cosmo was ‘the fun one’. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that a 4 year old would want to spend more time with Cosmo rather than her?

Wanda nearly cried aloud when a realization suddenly hit her.

She was jealous.

Tabby had bonded with Cosmo, and Wanda felt left out.

Wanda flipped the page in her lap over, revealing the crayon drawing she had worked so diligently at. Tabby was right, Wanda had worked on her drawing for a long time, and the paper was heavy with the thick colored wax. She wasn’t exactly sure why she had drawn Cosmo in such a Picasso-esque style, it just kind of came out that way. Her eyes flicked quickly to the almost-gone green crayon nub Tabby had pointed to earlier, before settling back onto the paper in her lap.

Just Cosmo. Her goddaughter and husband had both drawn ‘family portraits’, for lack of a better word, showing the three of them smiling and happy. But Wanda had filled the page with a large, Picasso style drawing of her husband. Why?

She stared into the green crayon eyes of her drawing, and realization suddenly struck her with a nearly audible ‘click’. Maybe she had actually been thinking backwards.

She wasn’t jealous because Tabby was so close to Cosmo, she was jealous because Cosmo was so close to Tabby. And because Cosmo was so focused on their goddaughter, Wanda felt second best.

She missed her husband.

That would explain why she drew just Cosmo instead of all three of them. She could go even further and psychoanalyze the Picasso style as a manifestation of how strange her own husband seemed to her right now. It was as if the two of them had suddenly switched roles. SHE was the one who usually bonded with the children first. SHE was the one the children usually went to with their problems or banged knees or anything else that benefited from a ‘mother’s touch’. SHE was the one who usually lured the shy godchildren out of their shells and started the relationship off on the right foot.

But not this time. This time was all Cosmo. Wanda supposed that Tabby’s age had a lot to do with the way Cosmo kind of took charge, but she also supposed that some kids might just take to Cosmo quicker. Of course, when you toss in the fact that all of Tabby’s nannies had been women—all with varying degrees of attentiveness—it pretty much explained why the girl took easier to Cosmo than Wanda. In Tabby’s experience, women just didn’t really seem to care all that much.

“Whatcha looking at?” Cosmo asked, snapping Wanda from her thoughts.

She looked up quickly, tucking the paper back under the table.

“OH! Uh, n-nothing, really,” she stammered, offering her husband a shaky smile. “W-Where’s Tabby?”

“She had to go potty,” he said as he floated next to her. “Whatcha got there?”

Wanda smiled and shook her head. “Really, sweetie, it’s nothing—OH!” she exclaimed as Cosmo’s wand flashed and the paper disappeared from her hand, only to reappear in his. “Cosmo! Give it back!”

“I wanna see!” he said, turning his back to stop her as she launched herself forward to retrieve the drawing. “C’mon Wanda, I showed you mine!”

“It’s not the same thing, Cosmo!” she cried, trying to reach over his shoulder for the paper. “It’s terrible! Give it back!”

He casually kept the paper just out of her reach as she struggled against him, reaching for it. After a few more seconds of fruitless grabs, Wanda gave up with a sigh. What was she so worried about? He wouldn’t be able to tell what it was, anyway.

He stared at it silently for a few seconds before cocking his head to the side in a thoughtful manner.

Would he?

“Cosmo?” she called timidly. Did he recognize himself? What would he think?

“It kinda looks like me,” he said quietly as he turned slowly. “It’s got green eyes and green hair and a crown . . . is this supposed to be me?”

“Well, yeah,” Wanda said, floating closer to him. “I’m not really sure why I drew it, but . . .” She paused, not liking the taste of the lie on her tongue. “Actually, I think I do know why I drew it.”

He looked at her, his face full of confusion, with just a hint of curiosity tossed in for good measure. “Why?”

“Because I miss you.”

He jerked slightly in surprise.

“Miss me? But Wanda, I’m right here! I never went anywhere. How could you miss me?”

“I miss . . . Things are different right now,” she explained carefully, not wanting to confuse him more or hurt his feelings. “You and Tabby have gotten so close so quickly, that I feel kind of . . . left out.”

Cosmo's brows drew together in confusion. “Left out? You mean . . . like we're ignoring you or something?”

Wanda shrugged. “It's hard to explain, sweetie. I just feel like she doesn't really like me as much as she likes you.” She smiled, a blush working its way across her cheeks. “It sounds kind of silly when I say it out loud.”

Her husband floated closer, still examining the drawing in his hands. “But you only drew me,” he said quietly before looking up at her. “Are you mad at me?”

She shook her head, smiling. “Oh sweetie, of course not,” she said quietly as she curled her arms around him. “You just seem so different with her. Don't get me wrong, it’s good that Tabby’s happy. And you’re doing so well with her wishes and your magic and everything. I just kind of . . . I don't know.”

Cosmo pulled back to look her in the eyes. “What? Tell me.”

She shrugged. “I kind of feel like I don't know where I fit in this relationship right now.”

His eyebrows shot up, disappearing beneath his long bangs. “Oh Wanda, why didn't you say something?” He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight squeeze. “You belong right here, having fun with me and Tabby!”

Wanda smiled warmly. “Oh, sweetie, I do have fun!” she said, squeezing back. “I just think different things are fun, that’s all.”

“Like what?” he asked, pulling back and looking confused again.

She shrugged. “Little things, I guess. Like before when we were all sitting around coloring, I liked that. And at night when we all snuggle into bed and read a bedtime story, I really like that.”

“I like that too,” a timid voice called from the doorway, making the two fairies jump and look in that direction.

“Tabby!” Cosmo cried, and it was the girl’s turn to jump. “You scared us!”

The little girl blushed and shuffled her feet. “Sorry,” she said softly. “Is Wanda okay?”

Her godmother smiled lovingly and floated to the child.

“I’m okay, sweetie,” the pink haired fairy said softly. “You like the bedtime stories, too?”

Tabby nodded. “Uh huh,” she said shyly, a small smile curling her lips. “I like to get in bed and be in the middle and hear you read from the book. And you show me the pictures, too. That’s nice.”

“Hey!” Cosmo cried as he joined the girls. “You never show ME the pictures!”

“That’s because you’re usually asleep two pages into the story!” Wanda reminded him with a raised eyebrow. “I have to practically shout for Tabby to hear me over your snoring.”

“I don’t snore!” he huffed, looking quite insulted. “Do I?” he asked Tabby.

The little girl giggled and nodded.

“I do?”

Tabby nodded again.

“Pretty loud, too,” she added, and proceeded to imitate the sound, much to Wanda’s great amusement.

“Oh my goodness,” the pink haired fairy laughed. “That sounds exactly like it!”

“Nuh uh!” Cosmo cried, getting very red in the face. “I don’t sound like that at all!”

“How would you know, you’re asleep!” Wanda said, and broke down into uncontrollable giggles. Tabby followed her, and soon the two were supporting each other as their laughter doubled them over.

The green haired fairy crossed his arms angrily as he pouted for a few minutes before cracking a slow smile.

“Okay,” he said, speaking slightly louder than usual to be heard over the great gales of laughter. “So maybe I do snore. Big deal. At least I don’t drool.” At this proclamation, Tabby and Wanda quieted, exchanging an uncertain look. Cosmo’s face fell. “I don’t, do I?” Another look passed between the girls, and Wanda suddenly jumped up, clapping her hands together.

“Hey!” she said, a wide smile spreading across her face. “Let’s do something fun! Tabby, what do you want to do?”

The little girl thought for a few seconds before turning to her godmother with a small smile.

“I wanna color some more,” she said quietly, a light blush crawling across her cheeks. “Do you wanna color, Wanda?”

The pink haired fairy smiled warmly as she placed a soft hand on Tabby’s cheek. “Sweetie, I’d love to.”

Tabby smiled happily, grabbed her godmother’s hand and practically dragged her back to the little table. Wanda took her seat, and watched as Tabby pulled another chair closer to her before pulling out fresh sheets of paper.

“Here Wanda,” she said quietly. “Let’s draw!”

“Cosmo, would you like to join us?” Cosmo asked himself in a high-pitched voice, to which he promptly responded, in his normal voice, “Why yes, I would like to draw! How nice of you to ask me!”

“Are you going to come over here and color or are you content hovering over there talking to yourself?” Wanda called with a smile after exchanging a glance with Tabby.

Her husband blew a raspberry at her as he flew to the table.

“Very funny,” he muttered as Tabby pushed some paper in front of him.

“Draw, Cosmo,” she ordered. “Time to draw for Wanda.”

The three sat quietly for the rest of the afternoon, filling page after page with crayon drawings. Wanda loved the interaction with her husband and godchild, and felt true bonding begin with Tabby.

The rest of the pink haired fairy’s drawings held no deeper meaning, unless that meaning was her fondness for her little patchwork family.


End file.
